Structural form



Aug. 5, 1958 B. E. WINEGAR STRUCTURAL FORM Filed Aug. 3. 1954 INVENTORATTORNEYS United States STRUCTURAL FORM Burnell E. Winegar, Evansville,Ind.

Application August 3, 1954, Serial No. 447,627

1 Claim. (Cl. 25-118) The present invention relates to a structural formused in the construction of concrete foundations, curbings and the like.The invention relates more particularly to a structural form which iseasily and accurately assembled and which provides uniformly finishedsurfaces.

In the construction of the modern prefabricated houses, for example, ithas been the custom to utilize wooden forms or channel sections forpouring the concrete foundations. The use of the wooden forms or thechannel sections proves objectionable because time consuming squaringand leveling is required for assembling to effect the total rectangulararea necessary for a house foundatron.

The novel structural form disclosed herein permits fast, accurate anduniform assembling, resulting in great advantage over the other types offorms. novel structural form comprises an outer form section and aninner form section, the inner form section adapted to removably engagethe outer form section by means of connecting members secured to theinner form section. Trussing provided along the outer form sectionpermits the use of lighter weight materials than has been heretoforepossible with other types of forms.

For forming the foundation of a conventional prefabricated house, forexample, a series of assembled sections of such forms is employed.Disposed along the outer and inner form sections are sleeve typeadjustable leveling members for leveling the structural form for anytype of terrain. Square corners are assured by preassembling outer formsections by welding, for example.

The present invention has, therefore, as a principal object theprovision of a structural form which permits faster squaring, levelingand assembling than has been possible heretofore with conventional typesof forms.

A further and more general object of the present invention is to providea structural form which is easily, accurately and uniformly assembled.

Other objects and a better understanding of the invention will becomemore apparent from the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a planview of a corner portion of the structural form showing it assembled foruse;

Figure 2 is a view of the structural form in cross-section, taken atline 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the structural form taken in sideelevation showing the joinder of the outer form sections.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of theinvention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated inthe drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same.It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope ofthe invention is thereby intended, such alterations and furthermodifications in the illustrated device, and such further applicationsof the principles of the inventions as illustrated therein, beingcontemplated as The applicants 2,845,683 Patented Aug. 5, 1958 wouldnormally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now to Figure 1, Figure 2 and Figure 3, sections of structuralform are shown comprising an outer form 10 and an inner form 11. Theouter form 10 and the inner form 11 have upper flanges 10a and 11a andlower flanges 10b and 11b, respectively. In the present embodiment,outer form 10 and inner form 11 are made from #12 gauge steel.

Secured to the upper flange 11a of inner form 11 are connecting members12. A cap screw 12a and nut 12b are provided for removably engaging theconnecting member 12 to the inner form 11, the cap screw 12a preferablybeing welded to the upper flange 11a of the inner form 11 and extendingthrough a slot formed in one end ofconnecting member 12. The other end13 of connecting member 12 is adapted to conform to and hook around theupper flange 10a of outer form 10.

Attached to upper flange 10a and lower flange 10b of outer form 10 aresupport members 14 and 15, respectively. Support members 14 and 15 aresecured to horizontal support member 16. In the preferred embodiment,the support members 14, 15 and 16 are conventional pipes, the supportmembers 14 and 15 being welded to horizontal support member 16 and tothe upper flange 10a and the lower flange 10b of outer form 10. Thetrussing design formed by support members 14 and 15 together withhorizontal support member 16 makes the formparticularly adaptable to useof. light weight materials.

Welded or otherwise secured to the horizontal support member 16 is asleeve 18 through which a leveling member or stake 17 passes. A hex nutpreferably welded onto sleeve 18 is provided with set screw 19 so thatleveling member or stake 17 may be tightened into any desired position.Sleeve 21 is welded or otherwise secured through member 22 to the lowerflange 11b of the inner form 11. Leveling member or stake 23 passesthrough the sleeve 21, and a hex nut is provided with set screw 24 fortightening the leveling member or stake 23 into position when thedesired level is effected. Several such leveling assemblies are providedon each inner and outer form section.

Figure 3 discloses the arrangement by which the outer forms iii arejoined. At the end of each section of outer form 16, an angle or flange25 is provided which is adapted to receive nuts and bolts 26. In thepreferred embodiment, the angle or flange 25 is welded onto the endportion of the outer form 10. Tapered dowels or projections 27 arewelded preferably onto one of the set of angles 25 and are provided toassure accurate joining of the sections of forms. Apertures 27a areprovided in the other angle 25 which receive projections 27 and therebycause continuous sections of outer form to become aligned.

At the end of each section of horizontal support member 16, a plate 28is provided to receive nut and bolt 29 for joining horizontal supportmembers 16. The outer forms iii are preassembled by welding at 30, forexample, to provide a rigid corner section. Inner forms 11 engage eachother at the inside of the corner section at 31 and may be prewelded, ifdesired.

In use, and described particularly in connection with forming theconcrete foundation of a prefabricated house, sections of outer form 10are aligned by projections 27 and joined together by means of nuts andbolts 26. Horizontal support members 16 are joined together by means ofnuts and bolts 29. The outer forms are leveled with a transit, forexample, at each of the four corners and necessary adjustments are madeby set screws 19 in sleeves 1.8 on leveling members or stakes 17.

After the outer forms 10 are joined and leveled, a

trench is dug for the concrete. In our example, the trench is about 8inches wide and 30 inches deep. Sections of the inner forms 11 arehooked over the upper flange 10a of the outer form 10 by means ofconnecting members 12.. Leveling members or stakes 23 on the inner form11 are adjustedwhere necessary by set screws 24. The concrete is. pouredinto the trench at opening 32.

Frorn the preceding description of the applicants novel structural form,it" should be apparent that by utilizing the invention foundations,curbings and the like, can be rapidly and more uniformly constructed.The form is susceptible to changes in material and dimensions. Forexample, the height of the inner form 11 may be of any desired length sothat the lower flange 11b rests on or ofi the ground. For specializedapplications, inner form 11 may have any desired shape in side elevationother than the inwardly slanted wall shown in the present embodiment.Moreover, an optional extension may be provided on the lower flange 10bof outer form 10 in a downward direction'to accommodate certain changesin terrain. Similarly, for certain applications, support member may bedisposed, for example, at a right angle with respect to the outer form10 and support member 14 correspondingly changed. Thus, the abovedescription should be considered as illustrative and not as limiting thescope of the following claim.

I claim:

A structural form comprising an outer wall section having upper andlower horizontal flanged portions, said upper horizontal flanged portionhaving a downward portion and said lower horizontal flanged portionhaving an upward portion, an inwardly slanted inner wall section havingupper and lower horizontal flanged portions, said lower horizontalflanged portion having an upward portion, a plurality of connectingmembers extending between said upper horizontal flanged portions of saidouter wall section and said inner Wall section, said connecting membersadapted to be removably attached to said upper horizontal flangedportion of said inner Wall section and to hook around said downwardportion of said upper horizontal flanged portion of said outer wallsection, said inner wall section being hung on said outer wall sectionby means of said hooked ends of said connecting members, said connectingmembers maintaining said outer and said inner wall sections insubstantially parallel spaced apart relationship, laterally extendingsupport rods rigidly connected to said downward and said upward portionsof said upper and said lower horizontal flanged portions of said outerwall section and extending and rigidly connecting to a horizontal rod,said horizontal rod disposed substantially parallel to said outer wallsection and spaced apart therefrom, adjustable outer wall sectionleveling means attached to said horizontal rod, and adjustable innerwall section leveling means attached to said upward portion of saidlower horizontal flanged portion of said inner wall section.

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS1,349,340 Hotchkiss Aug. 10, 1920 1,482,700 Ratzesberger Feb. 5, 19241,672,760 Heltzel June 5, 1928 1,700,798 Heltzel Feb. 5, 1929 1,839,286Wolf Jan. 5, 1932 1,922,584 Heltzel Aug. 15, 1933 2,492,502 Salmon Dec.27, 1949 7 2,611,169 Torrelli Sept. 23, 1952 2,663,925 Yates Dec. 29,1953 2,764,798 Hufi Oct. 2, 1956

